CASA of Tulare County has been gifted with a $250,000 Donation from an Anonymous Donor.
An anonymous donor has gifted CASA of Tulare County a donation totaling $250,000 in support of their efforts to recruit, train and support volunteers who advocate in court for the best interests of children in the foster care system, many of which have experienced abuse and neglect. Their advocacy enables judges to make the most well-informed decisions for each child.
CASA of Tulare County’s campaign to “Change a Child’s Story.” has been developed by the National CASA/GAL organization. Its messaging is told from the point of view of children who have experienced abuse or neglect, distinguishing itself from previous campaigns. The campaign promotes the importance of these children of having a volunteer by their side to advocate for their best interests.
Eric Johnson, Executive Director for CASA of Tulare County, said, “Since COVID-19 has affected us in so many ways, specifically with the cancelling of our two main fundraisers, receiving this generous donation will continue to help us implement the Change a Child’s Story
TM campaign to actively recruit more volunteers. With almost 250 children on our waiting list for a CASA volunteer, we hope to decrease the number of wait list kiddos by spreading the word and increasing our volunteer base. This will be consistent with our organization’s vision, which is to ensure that we are providing a dedicated trained advocate for every innocent child entering the court dependency system that is appointed to CASA of Tulare County.
Moreover, the donation is the largest single donation received by CASA of Tulare County in its long history serving Tulare County. The funds will be used to increase public awareness and drive focused recruitment for underrepresented volunteer populations. This funding will help us bring awareness in communities traditionally not served throughout Tulare County — with a goal of decreasing the number of children on our waitlist by 50 percent.”
CASA of Tulare County is grateful for this generous donation and hopes that the message is spread throughout all of Tulare County that we, as a community, have the power to change the stories of children who’ve experienced abuse and neglect.